Three years after NASCAR moved its opening race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup to Chicagoland Speedway, the track is "struggling to make an impression on local sports fans," according to Danny Ecker of CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS. The share of Chicagoans who say they are interested in the sport has dropped to 18% of adults from 26% in '08, which is a "slightly steeper decrease than the trend nationally, where interest has dropped" to 24% from 31% over the same period. The Chase begins at Chicagoland on Sunday. Chicagoland President Scott Paddock "attributes the drop-off in fan interest and TV ratings largely to the advent of the 'Car of Tomorrow,'" but he is "counting on the latest remodeled versions to lure fans back with the promise of more action, as well as a change in the playoff format." Meanwhile, the speedway has spent about $16M over the past six years "upgrading its infield fan zone, adding more shuttles around its nearly 1,500-acre property and modifying its club suites." Chicagoland next year plans to "quadruple the size of its 475-square-foot video board at the track." Looking for more "urban fans, the track has held promotional events in downtown Chicago the past two years during the week leading up to its Sprint Cup race." It did the same with events this week on North Michigan Avenue. But the track's distance from downtown "doesn't make it easy." Part of the track's "strategy is to get casual sports fans to sample its product by adding more events." It already "has motorsports events nearly every weekend from April through early October," totaling nearly 130 days of activities per year (CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS, 9/8 issue).
